A Summer Shakespeare Club: Meeting the Members

Lorna

Lorna is certifiably nuts, which is just perfect for this year’s summer adventure.  We have known each other since the older children were little but it has only been in the last two years that we have grown close.  Our families get together every Friday for baked potatoes and toppings, and each week we learn that Lorna’s particular brand of quirkiness has no limits!  Here are the answers to her questions:

Age: 23 (snicker from me)

What do you want to be when you grow up: Mature (‘nother snicker from me)

Three words you would use to describe yourself: Sexy, crazy and funny (nearly falling of my chair…)

What do you hope to get out of this Shakespeare summer adventure:  An idea of how to home school…..or how not to home school.  Fun for the family.

B13 (Lorna’s son)

B13 is very much his mother’s son in that he is incredibly funny.  In fact B is probably one of the most naturally hilarious people we know.  He loves performing and is pretty much game for anything which from my point of view makes him perfect to teach!  We spend a huge amount of our time laughing at with B.  He loves to tease others but is very willing to take it as well as give it.  T thoroughly enjoys his company and it has been lovely watching their friendship go from strength to strength over the past couple of years.  B has just recently completed his year 8 at school but has now chosen to be home schooled, which we are all very excited about.

Age: 13

What do you want to be when you grow up: Fireman

Three words you would use to describe yourself: Good looking, well toned and funny

What do you hope to get out of this Shakespeare summer adventure: Knowledge, fun and teen bonding.  He loves to act and is really enjoying the project based learning.

K11 (Lorna’s daughter)

K has just recently come out of school ( about six weeks ago) and now regularly joins us each Friday whilst Lorna works.  K is a sweetie pie, very encouraging, loving and a joy to teach.  K’s strength however is in her organisational skills.  Listening to her teach or organise something for the rest of my guys is like watching a professional teacher in action.  She is also a huge blessing to me because she enjoys playing with my little two, which they, of course, love!  Since she has left school, K is blossoming into the young lady she was always meant to be.  Yay for home schooling!

Age: 11 nearly 12

What do you want to be when you grow up: Baker

Three words you would use to describe yourself: Kind, caring and jolly

What do you hope to get out of this Shakespeare summer adventure: To experience and understand Shakespeare, to have fun and to build deeper friendships.

Claire (me)

I have taken over three hundred pictures in the last few days and not one of them included me!  You all know what I look like, but I’ll see if I can get one up of me in my Shakespeare T-shirt.

Age: Ageless…

What do I want to be when I grow up: I would like to write a novel and then tell everyone that I am a writer!

Three words I would use to describe myself: Loving, cuddly (my children chose this one) and (slightly) sarcastic

What do I hope to get out of this summer:  My only hope is that I survive it!

T13 (my son)

Of all my children, T is the one who reminds me of me.  He is serious, studious and hard working.  He takes himself a bit too seriously at times (which is why B is such a great friend for him), but a more loyal friend you will never find.  When he loves it is passionately and completely.  Although he has never been tested in this area, I am certain he would lay down his life for someone he cared about.  He is a man-child in so many ways, looking and often acting far above his 13 years, but we also need to remind ourselves that he is only 13 and not be surprised when he occasionally acts it!  I was concerned that T had maybe out grown this type of summer adventure but I have been really chuffed to see him throw himself into everything with a huge grin on his face!

Age: 13

What do I want to be when I grow up: Scientist

Three words I would use to describe myself: Funny, smart and serious

What do I hope to get out of this summer:  He is looking forward to gaining more knowledge and have lots of fun doing so.  He is enjoying working in a team with everyone, and is loving the project which he is doing with B13.

L12

L has traditionally been my quieter, sensitive twin.  She is generally a no nonsense, mature girl, who has just recently found her voice, much to her talkative sister’s chagrin, and is someone who laughs easily and often.  If any member of the family is ill, or tired or needy in some way, L is the child who will meet those needs, either by taking over chores, making teas or giving back rubs.  If she sees a need she fill it, without making a song and dance about it.  L is extremely independent and prefers working and creating alone.  Artistic, she is always trying some arts and craft project she has found on YouTube.  Along with T, she loves to move her body and trampolines a lot, does yoga and has recently taken up jogging whilst her brother skateboards beside her.

Age: 12

What do I want to be when I grow up: Nurse or professional trampolinist

Three words I would use to describe myself:  Sporty, artistic and sensitive

What do I hope to get out of this summer:  A better knowledge of Shakespeare, time with friends building closer friendships and having the opportunity to lead.

C12

C12 is our second resident summer nutter (although in this photo she looks remarkably composed).  C is a very straight forward human being.  She wears her heart on her sleeve, always says what she thinks.  C has no sides to her at all.  She is 100% herself 100% of the time.  Quirky, funny and eminently joyful, she is full of the beans of life and can almost always be found singing at the top of her voice and with her nose stuck in a book.  Pretty much her only moan about life is that she doesn’t ever have anything to read, which we find ridiculous given how many books we own (she claims to have read everything ‘at least one hundred times….’).  Oh, and she laughs.  A lot.

Age: 12

What do I want to be when I grow up: Singer

Three words I would use to describe myself:  Vivacious, outgoing and friendly

What do I hope to get out of this summer:  To become more acquainted with her literary hero; become Juliet (apart from the dying bit) and to spend time with her fellow nutter and would be role model, Lorna (!).